Aching to Fly!

So as I write this I ache, mentally a little and physically.

Sailing the Moth is awesome, I still haven’t got to grips with the beast yet, but each time I sail I get more confidence, more in tune and more flight-time.

Mentally its a challenge, the balance, the tuning of the rig, foils and physical position and movements… Rigging is now pretty much sorted, although I am still struggling with getting the mast up, not sure whether I’m doing something wrong, or lacking some upper body strength or just ‘cus I’m a short-arse?

I had some really decent foiling runs yesterday, the breeze was probably just sub-10knots the gusts may have been a little more, but not much… I loved the fact that at one point I was foiling but knelt on the centreline! Not sure how many foiling runs I had, but I managed a lot more variation in points of sailing and lots more course changing when up on the foils.

Strangely, and I think I may need external help on this, most of the foiling runs ended, at some point either because of the wind dropping, or more confusingly for no apparent reason… what tended to happen was either:

• Loss of control and a broach with the windward wing smacking the water….and capsize
• Foiling nicely and then a relatively slow heel to windward and then a sudden nose-dive, and a lurching to windward heel and capsize

Still in both the scenarios I didn’t need to worry about tacking… bloody boat did that for me as I was “ejected”! But why.. what is causing the end to the beauty of my foiling run?

• Weed?
• Issues on the surface of the foils?
• Body position?
• …or just the way it happens….(surely not?)

Anyway, the new aluminium trolley worked well I(thanks dad), nothing broke, reputation in tact…. just a shame no-one had a camera to snap my exploits!

I love the moth, I haven’t given it enough time, not enough time on the water, but I hope that Autumn and Winter will give me that time and I can saill in stronger winds and foil more consistently.

Sailing the moth is an awesome buzz, its a challenge on so many levels with associated grin-factor!